It's going to be packed to the rafters at the WIN Entertainment Centre Wollongong on Thursday 22 February 2018 for the ordination of Bishop-elect Brian Mascord as the fifth bishop of Wollongong. In one of the largest Catholic ordinations in Australia's history, 4,500 guests—including the papal nuncio in Australia, His Excellency Most Reverend Adolfo Tito Yllana—have confirmed their attendance.

The Diocese of Wollongong takes in the geographical areas of the Illawarra, Macarthur, Shoalhaven and the Southern Highlands. The ordination will be celebrated by 34 Australian bishops, 113 clergy, parishioners and families from all the diocesan parishes and schools, staff and families from all diocesan agencies and affiliated organisations, leaders of other churches and faiths, civic leaders of government and business, and last but not least, bus-loads of Bishop-elect Brian’s family, friends, parishioners and community members from the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle—where he currently resides.

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP (Archbishop of Sydney) will be the principal consecrator, with the co-consecrators being Bishop Peter Ingham (Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Wollongong) and Bishop William Wright (Bishop of Newcastle-Maitland).

It is the first ordination of a bishop in the Diocese of Wollongong for some 22 years (Bishop Peter Ingham was already an auxiliary bishop when he was installed as the fourth bishop of Wollongong 16 years ago.)